Description of Business	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Description of Business [Abstract]
Description of Business	(1) Description of Business KVH Industries, Inc. (the Company or KVH) designs, develops, manufactures and markets mobile communications products for the marine, land mobile and aeronautical markets, and navigation, guidance and stabilization products for both the defense and commercial markets. KVH’s mobile communications products enable customers to receive voice and Internet services, and live digital television via satellite services in marine vessels, recreational vehicles and automobiles as well as live digital television on commercial airplanes while in motion. KVH’s CommBox offers a range of tools designed to increase communication efficiency, reduce costs, and manage network operations. KVH sells its mobile communications products through an extensive international network of retailers, distributors and dealers. KVH also leases products directly to end users. KVH offers precision fiber optic gyro-based (FOG) systems that enable platform and optical stabilization, navigation, pointing and guidance. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products also include tactical navigation systems that provide uninterrupted access to navigation and pointing information in a variety of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products are sold directly to U.S. and allied governments and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. In addition, KVH’s guidance and stabilization products have numerous commercial applications such as precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics and optical stabilization. KVH’s mobile communications service sales include sales earned from satellite voice and Internet airtime services, engineering services provided under development contracts, sales from product repairs, certain DIRECTV account subsidies and referral fees earned in conjunction with the sale of its products and extended warranty sales. KVH provides, for monthly fixed and usage fees, satellite connectivity sales from broadband Internet, data and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to its TracPhone V-series customers. KVH also earns monthly usage fees for third-party satellite connectivity for voice, data and Internet services to its Inmarsat TracPhone customers who choose to activate their subscriptions with KVH. Under current DIRECTV programs, KVH is eligible to receive a one-time payment for each DIRECTV receiver activated for service and a new mobile account activation fee from DIRECTV for each customer who activates their DIRECTV service directly through KVH. KVH’s guidance and stabilization service sales include product repairs, engineering services provided under development contracts and extended warranty sales.

Description of Business

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

(1) Description of Business

KVH Industries, Inc. (the Company or KVH) designs, develops, manufactures and markets mobile communications products for the marine, land mobile and aeronautical markets, and navigation, guidance and stabilization products for both the defense and commercial markets.

KVH’s mobile communications products enable customers to receive voice and Internet services, and live digital television via satellite services in marine vessels, recreational vehicles and automobiles as well as live digital television on commercial airplanes while in motion. KVH’s CommBox offers a range of tools designed to increase communication efficiency, reduce costs, and manage network operations. KVH sells its mobile communications products through an extensive international network of retailers, distributors and dealers. KVH also leases products directly to end users.

KVH offers precision fiber optic gyro-based (FOG) systems that enable platform and optical stabilization, navigation, pointing and guidance. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products also include tactical navigation systems that provide uninterrupted access to navigation and pointing information in a variety of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. KVH’s guidance and stabilization products are sold directly to U.S. and allied governments and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. In addition, KVH’s guidance and stabilization products have numerous commercial applications such as precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics and optical stabilization.

KVH’s mobile communications service sales include sales earned from satellite voice and Internet airtime services, engineering services provided under development contracts, sales from product repairs, certain DIRECTV account subsidies and referral fees earned in conjunction with the sale of its products and extended warranty sales. KVH provides, for monthly fixed and usage fees, satellite connectivity sales from broadband Internet, data and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to its TracPhone V-series customers. KVH also earns monthly usage fees for third-party satellite connectivity for voice, data and Internet services to its Inmarsat TracPhone customers who choose to activate their subscriptions with KVH. Under current DIRECTV programs, KVH is eligible to receive a one-time payment for each DIRECTV receiver activated for service and a new mobile account activation fee from DIRECTV for each customer who activates their DIRECTV service directly through KVH.

KVH’s guidance and stabilization service sales include product repairs, engineering services provided under development contracts and extended warranty sales.